Flashforge Creator 5 Pro vs Bambu Lab P2S

The world of desktop 3D printing has evolved rapidly over the past few years, and two of the newest machines targeting classrooms, makerspaces and workshops are the Bambu Lab P2S Combo and the Flashforge Creator 5 Pro.

• Fast printing
• Multi-colour capability
• Beginner-friendly workflows
• Reliable enclosed designs
• Easy network connectivity

But despite the similar goals, these printers take completely different approaches to multi-material and multi-colour printing. The Bambu Lab P2S Combo uses a traditional filament switching system paired with a single extruder, while the Flashforge Creator 5 Pro uses four completely independent toolheads in a true tool-changing system.

So which one is actually better for education, STEM labs, makerspaces and workshops?

Let’s break it down.

Size & Footprint

When buying a printer for a classroom or shared workspace, physical size matters more than many people realise. Desk space in schools and makerspaces is often limited, so having a compact printer that still delivers a large build volume can make a huge difference.

P2S Combo The Bambu Lab P2S has a compact footprint measuring: 392 x 406 x 478 mm Weight: just under 15kg That makes it relatively easy to move around between classrooms or workstations. However, once you add the AMS 2 Pro, the total height increases significantly. You’ll also need additional overhead clearance if you want to easily open the AMS lid and swap filament.
Creator 5 Pro The Creator 5 Pro is slightly larger: 441 x 411 x 460 mm Up to 520 x 443 x 715 mm with top cover and spool holders installed Weight: 18kg The printer is noticeably wider because the four toolheads are mounted on the side rather than the rear.

Despite the larger physical size, both printers offer the same now-standard:

• 256 x 256 x 256 mm build volume

If desk space is your top priority, the P2S is the more compact and classroom-friendly option.

Speed

Both of these printers are extremely fast compared to older-generation desktop 3D printers.

For standard single-colour prints, both machines perform very similarly in real-world use. But once you start introducing multiple colours or materials, the differences become much more noticeable.

Why the Creator 5 Pro Pulls Ahead

The Flashforge Creator 5 Pro uses a true tool-changing system, meaning each colour or material has its own dedicated toolhead. That allows the printer to perform very fast tool swaps — around 7 seconds.

The Bambu Lab P2S Combo instead relies on repeatedly:

• Unloading filament,
• Purging old material,
• Loading new filament,
• Then purging again

For simple prints this isn’t a huge issue. But for complex multi-colour models with hundreds or even thousands of colour changes, purge time can dramatically increase print durations. If you’ve ever watched a Bambu printer spend hours purging filament during a large colour print, you already know exactly what this looks like.

Here's an example of a small 7 colour bird model we printed on both the P2S and Creator 5 Pro. The P2S took a staggering 18 hours 41 minutes to complete the model whereas the Creator 5 Pro only took 3 hours and 47 minutes.

P2S Combo 18 hours 41 minutes.

Creator 5 Pro 3 hours 47 minutes.

Compatible Filaments

For most schools and makerspaces, the majority of printing will happen with PLA or PETG. These materials are easy to print, relatively low-odor and generally safe for indoor classroom environments. And realistically, PLA and PETG will probably handle 90% of student projects.

However, both printers support far more advanced materials.

Both Printers Support: PLA PETG TPU ABS ASA PA (Nylon) Carbon Fibre Reinforced Support Materials

Flashforge Creator 5 Pro Advantages

The Creator 5 Pro includes an actively heated chamber, which allows it to support more advanced engineering materials like PPS-CF! That makes it a much stronger option for engineering workshops and advanced fabrication labs.

For standard classroom use, both are excellent. For engineering materials and advanced workflows, the Creator 5 Pro is the better choice.

Print Quality

Now let’s talk about print quality — and honestly, both of these printers produce seriously impressive results. In fact, if someone handed me two finished prints from these machines without telling me which printer they came from… I genuinely don’t think I could confidently tell you which was printed on which machine.

Yes, there are some small differences here and there, but realistically they’re very minor and can easily be tuned or adjusted on both printers.

P2S Combo	Creator 5 Pro

Where things start getting really interesting though… is during multi-material printing. Because this is where the two printers take completely different approaches.

The Bambu Lab P2S Combo uses a traditional filament-switching system where multiple materials feed through a single nozzle. And while the system works incredibly well, repeated purging between colours and materials can occasionally introduce slight contamination during transitions.

The Flashforge Creator 5 Pro approaches this very differently. As each material has its own completely independent toolhead, there’s no constant loading, unloading and purging through a shared nozzle. And that gives the Creator 5 Pro some genuinely interesting advantages during complex multi-colour/multi-material prints.

You get:

• Cleaner transitions between colours,
• Reduced risk of colour bleeding,
• Improved material separation,
• and significantly less cross-contamination between filament types.

Especially when printing engineering materials or dedicated support filaments together. And honestly, for complex multi-colour models or advanced multi-material engineering prints… the Creator 5 Pro’s toolchanger system starts making a lot of sense.

Filament Waste

This brings us to one of the biggest differences between these two printers — filament waste. And honestly, this is probably one of the main reasons why so many people are suddenly getting excited about toolchanger systems.

As we mentioned earlier, the Bambu Lab P2S Combo uses a traditional multi-colour filament switching system through a single extruder using the AMS 2 Pro. Because all materials feed through one nozzle, the printer needs to purge filament every single time it changes colour or material.

Now for occasional multi-colour prints, this honestly might not matter very much. But once you start printing larger or more complex models with hundreds or even thousands of colour changes… the amount of waste can become pretty significant. In some cases, you can easily end up using double — or even triple — the amount of filament compared to the actual printed model itself. And if you’re running a classroom, makerspace or print farm where filament costs add up quickly… that can become expensive over time.

The Flashforge Creator 5 Pro takes a completely different approach. Because each of the four independent toolheads already has its own dedicated material loaded and ready to print, there’s no need for constant unloading, reloading and purging during material changes. And honestly, the reduction in waste is dramatic.

The small seven-colour bird model I showed earlier is actually a perfect example of this. The model itself only used 24 grams of filament. But on the Bambu Lab P2S Combo, the total waste generated — including purge material, support material and the prime tower — came to an incredible 264 grams.

That’s more than 10 times the weight of the actual model!

Meanwhile, the Flashforge Creator 5 Pro produced only 18 grams of total waste including support material and the prime tower. And honestly, that difference is massive. Because over weeks, months and years of regular printing… that wasted filament really adds up.

P2S Combo Model: 24g Waste: 264g

Creator 5 Pro Model: 24g Waste: 18g

So while the Bambu ecosystem is still incredibly beginner-friendly and highly effective… the Creator 5 Pro’s independent toolchanger system is simply far more efficient when it comes to serious multi-colour and multi-material printing.

Connectivity

Modern classrooms expect wireless workflows. Thankfully, both printers support easy network-based printing.

Both printers allow users to:

• Slice models on a computer,
• Send files wirelessly,
• Remotely monitor prints

Unfortunately, neither printer includes Ethernet connectivity. That may be disappointing for schools currently running wired network infrastructure.

Software & Ecosystem

This is one of Bambu Lab’s biggest strengths.

Safety Features

Safety is incredibly important in schools and shared workshop environments — especially when printing engineering materials like:

• ABS
• ASA
• PA (Nylon)

These materials release ultrafine particles and VOCs during printing.

P2S Combo

Includes:

• Enclosed design
• Activated carbon filtration
  

For most PLA and PETG classroom printing, this is perfectly adequate.

Creator 5 Pro

Takes safety further with:

• H13 HEPA filtration
• Activated carbon filtration
• Enclosed heated chamber
• Front door sensor
• Lid-open sensor

According to Flashforge, the filtration system is specifically designed for engineering-grade materials. The additional safety sensors are also genuinely valuable in classrooms where students may open the enclosure during printing.

For engineering classrooms and makerspaces, the safety system is a major advantage.

Price

This is where things get extremely interesting.

Current pricing for the Bambu Lab P2S Combo is $1,249.00 inc GST whereas the Creator 5 Pro currently costs $1,347.50 inc GST. Less than $100 difference separates these two machines.

That’s remarkable considering the Creator 5 Pro includes:

• Four independent toolheads,
• Heated chamber,
• HEPA filtration,
• Advanced material support,
• True multi-material capability

Historically, toolchanger printers have cost thousands more than this.

Final Verdict

Both of these printers are excellent. But they serve slightly different audiences.